Batons, as used by security forces, police officers and other law enforcement personnel, are typically steel hollow-core retractable devices, such as the baton shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,110,375, 5,149,092, 5,348,297, 5,356,139, 5,645,276, 5,919,093 and others, assigned to Armament Systems and Procedures, Inc., the assignee of the present invention. These batons are constructed such that one segment of the baton is retractable within the next adjacent segment until all of the segments are retracted into an outer segment, for storage. These batons are extremely popular among law enforcement and security personnel, as over two million such batons have been reported to have been sold. Further, the popularity of these batons can be understood because such batons, as made by the assignee, are well made, sturdy, extremely reliable, and compact, and are easily used, stored and carried. Batons having expandable lengths of 21 inches and 26 inches are among the most popular batons with law enforcement and security personnel.
As law enforcement and security personnel have come to carry more numerous pieces of equipment, such as batons, telephones, handcuffs, walkie-talkies, pepper spray devices, disposable restraints, semi-automatic pistols, extra magazines and the like, which assist them in maintaining the peace, it has become desirable to reduce the size and weight of such devices, and in particular, batons. Further, in some situations, such as those faced by undercover officers and/or protective agents (such as U.S. Secret Service Agents), such equipment must be made smaller so that they can be concealed.
One item that can be purchased in various sizes (lengths) is the baton. It has been found that a smaller baton, for example, batons having expandable lengths of 16 inches or 21 inches, are more convenient to carry than full sized batons, such as 26 and 31 inch expandable batons. While it is easier to carry such smaller batons, they typically do not have the same impact potential of a larger baton. That is, because they form a smaller lever arm when swung, they require a more vigorous swing to produce an effective strike.
In the use of such batons, typically the user holds the baton squarely by the outer most segment, or the handle, and using a quick wrist action causes the baton to extend to its full length. The baton is then swung as needed while the user holds the outer tubular section or handle. Typically, the baton is held with the hand centered on the “grip” portion, and the little, or “pinky” finger nearer the proximal end of the baton, and the thumb and forefinger nearer the distal end of the baton. In operation, the user may hold the baton at or near the center of the outer segment.
When swinging a baton, it may slip forward to some degree in the user's hand. To address this problem, U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,093 (noted above) provides a formed grip for a baton that gives an excellent handhold on the baton. Some manufactures have provided less effective means of providing a friction hold. However, even with such textured handles, the user must still grasp the baton nearer to the center of the outer segment to insure a proper grip so that if the baton slips in the user's hand, it will not completely slip out of the hand. As a result, a substantial portion of the lower segment of batons is often unused during the swing, thus under-utilizing the full lever arm potential of the baton. While this is not a serious problem with longer batons, the loss of the lever arm becomes more tangible with smaller batons. The “lost length” can be equated with a reduction in the moment arm in a lever, and further equates to a substantial loss of force when the baton is swung.
It is therefore desirable to have a baton that can be grasped closer to or at its proximal end to provide the user with greater strike force without the baton slipping relative to the user's hand. It is also desirable to have a baton which when grasped provides a point of pivot at or about the little, or “pinky”, finger, instead of at or near the point of placement of the thumb and forefinger, such that a greater strike impact can be imparted with a smaller baton.